OWEN Boutique by Tacklebox

The following project is conceived of as the first in a series of signature stores for the emerging retailer OWEN.  In this first store we define a retail environment that introduces the visitor to the brand and spirit of OWEN and serves as a preview of stores to come.

Located in the Meatpacking District, OWEN occupies an 1,800 square foot space that previously housed a meat storage facility, auto storage, and a floral shop.  In response to the rich history of the space and through the juxtaposition of industrial elements with the handmade, we sought to create a place that is both familiar and timeless.

Here a continuous surface, hand-built out of 25,000 brown paper bags*, arches from floor to ceiling. The repetition of the paper bags results in a honeycomb-like structure that defines a warm, organic volume which sits within the existing industrial brick and concrete space.  Additionally, all clothing, accessories, and jewelry are displayed on quartz slab tables, blackened steel hang-bars and steel and glass vitrines whose linearity and crisp details sit in contrast to the delicate texture of the paper arch beyond.


*for those wondering, we worked with a consultant to find a non-toxic flame retardant saturant (specific to paper) that was used to treat the entire installation in order to achieve a Class A fire rating.


All photos by Juliana Sohn for OWEN